Fear and Trembling

Justin Taylor has done a fabulous job of compiling numerous Bible Reading plans here and here . I hope you will take advantage of these as we ring in the new year. I recommend the M’Cheyne plan as I have used it before. I found it to be extremely helpful. I cannot decide for certain which plan to use this year. I make take my time. I may just read a chapter a day from the Old Testament and a chapter a day from the New Testament in the Reformation Study Bible , including all of the notes. Should help me “dive deeper.” Happy New Year!!

I finished the book Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan (Colorado Springs, Colorado: David C. Cook, 2008) . The book is a strong call to the kind of Christian discipleship that can change a person’s life and change our world for the better. (See also the website associated with this book for information and supplemental videos and other materials.) This book is a strong call to the life of obedience that necessarily follows faith in Christ. But anytime a strong call to discipleship and obedience is issued, it can be misunderstood. I wanted to post a quick look at the underlying assumption of the book: the grace of Almighty God as demonstrated in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This grace is the righteousness of God that is earned for us in Jesus and credited to us through faith ( Romans 3:21-31 ). Our constant and consistent sin against a Holy God is a source of guilt and shame among Christians. Chan describes the problem and provides help: S...

I finished a book a few weeks ago by Michael Horton called Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 2008). The book is intended to diagnose and describe formidable problems facing the evangelical church in the U. S. In blogging terms, the book is a ‘rant,’ but it’s a powerful one. (Horton promises a “more constructive sequel “ to propose solutions (p. 27), and I look forward to that book.) Horton applies his keen, analytical mind in a devastating critique of a church that consumes a “regular diet” of “do more, try harder.” The book resonates with me as I have endured this many times. I have sat through sermon after sermon of “weekly calls to action” instead of the clear and simple statement of the gospel of salvation apart from my own works. (17) I have found much of what our Southern Baptist churches do to be vulnerable to Horton’s pointed criticism. He says of our theologically vacuous teaching that it “is not profound e...

It’s good to hear that William Lane Craig’s Reasonable Faith is going to be released in a third edition. I like this book, particularly it’s comprehensive overview of theological trends and, of course, it’s treatment of the Cosmological Argument . The book is one of my favorite. See also the Christianity Today cover story here .

Breakpoint posts its Summer Reading list here. Some of the recommended books and my comments are below. The Faith: Given Once, for All by Charles Colson with Harold Fickett This short book is Colson’s best since The Body. He lays out a strong emotive and intellectual case for Christianity. He strives for unity in Christ’s church, and goes to far at some points, but his overall work is excellent. His accounts of his work in prisons are the best part. UnChristian by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons I am not finished with this one yet, but I am impressed with the book’s straight-forward, non-nonsense approach to the difficulties the church finds herself in. My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers This book was my devotional for three years while I was in college. While I have grown away from some of its tenants, I cannot deny its impact on my life. Chambers reveals his dependence on Spurgeon. The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning This is one of my favorite books. Manning lays out...

I’ve been tagged by Ryan Jones with a book “meme.” Here goes. 1. One book that changed your life: “The Holy Bible, English Standard Version” (Read it in 90 days ; I dare you! Okay, if you can’t do it in 90 days, at least do it in one year .) 2. One book that you’ve read more than once: “The Holiness of God” by R. C. Sproul 3. One book you’d want on a desert island: I’m with Chesterton: “A Practical Guide to Shipbuilding.” I’m an Eagle Scout; I can stay alive until I get the ship built. 4. One book that made you laugh: “The Complete Calvin and Hobbes” by Bill Watterson 5. One book that made you cry: "The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky 6. One book that you wish had been written:“Systematic Theology” by John H. Gerstner 7. One book that you wish had never been written: “The Jews and Their Lies” by Martin Luther 8. One book you’re currently reading: “The Future of Justification” by John Piper 9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: “Systematic Theology” by Wayne Grudem ...